Fort Worth considers 90-day pause on data center development as residents raise concerns

Fort Worth is considering new restrictions on where and how data centers can be built, including a potential 90-day pause on new development, as residents raise concerns about the impact on their neighborhoods.

Tuesday marked the first of two public hearings required before the city can move forward with the proposed moratorium. The next hearing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 12, with a possible vote in February.

Dozens of residents brought their concerns directly to city leaders Tuesday, citing potential effects on the environment, quality of life, and the pace of development.

"There's environmental concerns ... where I live, just about a mile away there's a data center in the works so I am concerned for my own quality of life but even more so for others," resident Ellis Maxwell said.

"Data center developments are being very much rushed, rushed through the process," Brian Patman said. "So they are very much being pushed through before there is any regulation available to sort of rein them in."

A city commission led by TCU Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies Michael Slattery presented its findings Tuesday after months of studying the potential impact of data centers on power, water and nearby communities.

"The questions we looked at came out from a number of sources, one of which was the surveys that we got to look at … about 1,500 surveys that came back to the city from residences … and just lots and lots of conversations," Slattery said.

The commission presented 19 recommendations, including requiring non-evaporative, closed-loop cooling systems to conserve water, zoning standards to protect residential neighborhoods, noise limits that account for surrounding areas and a pilot study of low-frequency noise.

"I think it would give the city a roadmap on how to move forward," Slattery said. "Our city has an opportunity to be the city that did not just react to this technology, but has helped to understand it. That starts with doing what you asked us to do, get the facts, say them plainly, and say when you don't know."

Maxwell said he hopes the proposed moratorium leads to lasting changes.

"I want to make clear with the moratorium that it's not just a moment to sort of give us this concession and then wait for public pressure to die down, but that it's actually something that we're going to continue speaking out," Maxwell said.